Meter box



May 30, 1944. a w. F. DEAN ETAL METER BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 10, 1940 y 1944- w. F. DEAN EVTAL I 2,350,018

I METER BOX Filed Dec. 10, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS WWW/f 5k I ATTORNEY Patented May 30, 1944 UNITED STATES rnrE1vTorHce METER BOX William F. Dean and Frank Brooks,

Pasadena, Calif.

.Application December 10, 1940, Serial N'.'369,442

, 7 2 Claims. (01. 220-4.)

This invention relates to a meter box. Boxes of thegeneral character; often made" from concrete'or'cement; are commonly used out-of-doors to house water meters; gasmeters or the like. Usually such boxes are sunk in" the ground, and are provided with a removable cover that is substantially flush with the ground, and that can support the loads imposed upon it by ordinary tramc. i

In many instances a number of meters are installedside by side, as for apartment house tenants. In such. cases, acomm'onmeter'box to house all of the-meters 'may be provided; and it is desirable to make it "possibleto utilize-a sectional structure wherebythe capacity of the box maybe altered to suit the number of-meters. Also, a pressure regulatormay be installed, and the meter box may be somade as to accommodate the regulator along with the meteror meters.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide an improved meter box structure that may. be adapted. to houseanynumber of meters and if. desired, the pressure regulator as well.

- Itis another object of this-invention to make it possible. tobuildupa meter. box of any desired edsesnfthebox.that.serves not only tobrace the structure but. also as aseatfor the cover, and that be, used either. singly orplurally as emimdbrthe capacitrof. h i o r s an ,a n0the1t object pf. the inventionrto.

p vi eianim roved and. si plifiedfor s l upon which the openbottom,of the box may rest. ,H v T l v ionr s ess any oth r a vantagea a nd has other .objects which maybe d o e ea i appare om. consideration of several embodiments of the. invention. For this purpose'there are shown a. few forms in. the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specificationl These formswill now be described in detaiLillustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that detailed description is not to be taken in a"liinitingsense, since the s'cope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

"Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section. of a meter box incorporating the invention;

FighlAisa fragmentary sectional view of a modified. iormeofi the. invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view'of the meter box illustrated in Fig. l, the covers being removed;

' Fig, 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan View, partly broken away, of the meter box illustrated Fig. 1; r

Fig. 4' is a sectional View taken along plane 4 -4 of Fig. 1; r *Fig; 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along plane 55 of Fig. 1';

Fig. 6 is a pictorial view of a frame structure utilized in connection with the-invention; and" Figs. 7 and 8 are plan views of several forms of still structures utilized in connection with the invention. l 3' Inthe-specific embodiment illustrated in-Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, the meter box is shown ascapa-ble of accommodating three units. Forthis purpose there are endzplates l and 2 (Figs. 1, 2 and 5 that are made from concrete or other cementitious product. The side plates 3,- 4, 5' and B are likewise made of concrete or similar material. These side plates are arranged as shown most clearly in. Figs. 2 and 5, to form a container or box of rectangular configuration.

In order to make'it possible to form a box of any desired length to accommodate any desired number of meters. o regulators, the side plates 3, 4, 5 and 6 may be-formed as units capable ofbeing joined together to form asectional wall at each side of the box. Thus the plates 51v and 5 abut at their longitudinalcedges, and similarly plates. 4. and. 6 abutl at their longitudinal edges. Morethan twoplates if. desirednmay. be utilized for each side. wall- Furthermore, plates 5. and 6 are illustrated as longer thanthe plates 3 and 4'; but these plates may. be all of the same. size if desired. Inthev presentinstance plates5sand. 6 are shown as substantially twice as long. as the plates 3 and 4. Theend edges of the plates 3, 4, S and .6 abut the innerv surface 1. of the end plates l andZ (Fig. 5).

The manner in which the side and end plates are fastened together may now be described.-

Thus for joining the side plates 3 and! .or 4 and 6 together, use is made of astructure-illustrated, most clearly in Fig. 5; .Each. of theabuttingplates is provided. respectively with through apertures 9 and Ill adjacent the contacting edges. These apertures are located substantially centrally of. the height of the plates. Through the apertures Sand I0 passthe endsof a bar onstrap II. The-ends of the bars projectoutwardlyiofthe box. .Sincethebars are made of:

" non-circular metal, such asa-flat strip-.these projecting ends may be twisted as by the aid of a pair of pliers or the like to occupy the position illustrated by reference characters l2 and I3 of Fig. 5. This twist is made as close to the plates as possible, so as to cause the bar II to be held tightly in place against the inner surface of the plates 4 and 5.

Similarly, in order to join the side plates 3, 4, 5 and 6 to the end plates I and 2, bars M (Fig. 5) are provided. These bars have their ends i5 and |6'projecting respectively through the apertures I! and I8 formed in the plate. The projecting ends I5 and I6 may then be twisted as illustrated by reference characters l9 and 20 to urge the bar l4 into tight relationship with the plates forming the corner of the box.

The manner of assembly of the plates is simple. They are first placed in proper cooperative relation with each other; then the ends of the bars H and I4 may be passed through the respective apertures in the plates from the inside to the outside of the box. These ends are then twisted tothe form illustrated in Fig. 5. The bars form effective restraints against separation of the plates.

In order further to hold the plates together, use is made of one or more frames 2|, adjacent the top edges of the plates to 6. Thisframe 2|, as shown most clearly in Fig. 6, is in the form of a rectangle made of thin metal. The edges of the frame are formed as substantially horizontal flanges. At those sides of the frame 2| which are transverse to the side plates 3, 4, 5 and 6, vertical flanges 22 are formed.

That frame 2| which is adjacent an end plate I or 2 maybe fastened to the corresponding end plate by the aid of the flange 22, and a bolt 23 passing through the end plate and the flange. Furthermore, as many of the frames 2| maybe placed side by side as'required by the length of the sides formed by the plates 3, 4, 5 and 6. In the present instance three such frames 2| are shown, since the box is three times as long as a unit length represented by a frame 2|. The frames 2| are joinedgtogether by the aid of the vertical flanges 22 and the bolts 24 passing therethrough. The plurality of frames 2| thus form a frame structure, servingasa rigid brace adjacent the top edge of the box- In order to anchor the side plates 3, 4, 5 and 6 to the frames 2|, each of the frames are provided with anchoring projections 25 (Figs. 1, 3 and 6). These projections are struck downwardly in a vertical direction from the horizontal flanges which are adjacent the side plates 3, 4, 5 or 6. They are intended to be accommodated in appropriate recesses formed in the shoulders 26 formed on the inner surfaces of the side plates.

7 The frames 2| also serve appropriately as a rest for the removable covers 2! (Fig. 1). Each of these covers may be provided with a central aperture 28 serving as a viewing aperture for the meter or other device accommodated within the'bOX; v

The frames 2| obviously may be multiplied as desired to conform with the'number and length of the side plates 3, 4, 5 and 6. Accordingly it is asimple matter to build up the meter box to accommodate the desired number of units.

The bottom of the meter box is usually kept open. However, sills are usually provided for the. bottom edges of the box was to ensure against undesired settling. As shown most clearlyinFigs. 1-4 and 7. one form of sill 129 76 may be made of concrete or other cementitious material. These sills 29 may be placed underneath the end plates and 2 and also underneath the locality where the sectional side plates are in longitudinal alinement. As shown most clearly in Fig. 7, these concrete sills extend from one side to the other of the box structure. They may be provided with the flanges 30 and 3| adapted to extend exteriorly of the side plates. Furthermore, ribs or projections :32 and 33 are also provided, which form a groove 34 in which the bottom edge of the end plate may be accommodated. The projections 32 and 33 are thus disposed respectively on opposite sides of the bottom edge of these plates.

In place of the concrete sills 29, Wood sills such as 35 (Figs. 1A and 8) may be provided. In this case the sills may be formed with upright dowel pins 40 adapted to enter into corresponding apertures in the bottom edges of the end plates. Further to confine the end plates, stop pins 4| may be provided in the sills 35 to engage the outer vertical surface of the end plates. Additional dowel pins 42 are adapted to hereceived in recesses formedin the bottom edges of the side plates.

What is claimed is: v

1. In a box of the character described, end plates, a plurality of side plates to form each side of the box and placed adjacent one another, means for securing said side plates together, and means for maintaining said plates in position, comprising a plurality'of similar metal frames each formed as an. open rectangle, adapted to have a cover seated thereon, each of said frames having depending flanges on two opposite sides, the other pair of opposite sides having a length corresponding to that of the co-operating side plate, and joined respectively to said side plates, adjacent frames being arranged so that a depending flange of one-frame is contiguous to a depending flange of the other frame, the frames defining with the sideplates, a series of rectan gular spaces, the number of such spaces corresponding to the number of frames, and means for fastening said contiguous flanges together, said end plates being joined to the depending flanges of the corresponding end frames.

2. In a box of the character described, end plates, a plurality of side plates to form each side of the box and placed adjacentone another, means for securing said side plates together, metal frames adjacent the top edges of the plates, each of the frames being formed as an open receptacle adapted to have a cover seated thereon, said frame having depending anchoring projections on two opposite sides, the other pair of opposite sides having a length corresponding to that of the co-operating side plate, and joined respectively to said side plates, and cooperating with recesses extending downwardly in said side plates, said frames having depending flanges on the other two sides, adjacent frames being arranged so that a depending flange of one frame is contiguous to a depending flange of the other frame, the frames defining with the side plates, a series of rectangular spaces, the number of such spaces corresponding to the number of frames, and means for fastening said flanges together, said end plates being joined to the depending flanges of the corresponding end frames.

WILLIAM F. DEAN. FRANK M. BROOKS. 

